Peter Bernstein Plays Monk

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

“I’ve heard other guitarists play Monk and really stress the oddness and the angularity and to a degree I like what Peter did because its very counter to how most people would approach the [repertoire].

- Greg Scholl, president and chief executive of Xanadu/The Orchard

“To his credit, the translation goes almost unnoticed. What sticks out instead is Bernstein’s soulful affinity to the material and the dapper chatter of his partners, Doug Weiss on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.”

- AllAboutJazz website publicity department

“The way Monk approaches basic harmony is fascinating. He could be playing something within a chord with his right hand and strike one note with his left hand that was right in the middle of that chord. It’s the constant surprises.”

-Peter Bernstein, Jazz guitarist

You don’t often hear Monk’s music played on guitar.

One would suspect that this is primarily because Monk’s songs are physically scaled for the piano and its sharp intervals and tangled clusters don’t fall as naturally on a guitar’s fret board.

On the other hand, as guitarist Peter Bernstein observed: “There lots of space in Monk’s music and you don’t have to fill up all the space. And in his music the rhythmic element is already there – it’s already swinging.”

So it would seem that for a Jazz guitarist to play Monk’s music, one would have to complement the affinities while at the same time finding ways around the challenges it represents to the guitar.

Commenting about his Monk [Xanadu/The Orchard] CD, guitarist Peter Bernstein further explained to Eric Fine in his April 2009 JazzTimes article on Peter:

“‘Monk’s music is very sophisticated music and also very rooted and it has great strength in its simplicity. When I got into it, I found that certain voicings did lay on the guitar because of the spacing. It’s really not the sound of the piano … it’s the sound of Monk playing the piano.’

Even so, Bernstein struggled at times to translate the music to the guitar because of the instrument’s technical limitations.

‘I’ve always been frustrated as a guitar player harmonically,’ he said, ‘because you can’t play all the notes like a piano player can. The range is smaller, and it’s harder to play closer voicings on the guitar because you have to stretch between strings.'”

George Kantzer in his review for AllAboutJazz.com offered these thoughts about Peter’s accomplishments on his Monk CD:

“Thelonious Monk  never employed or recorded with a guitarist (save early bootlegged jam sessions with Charlie Christian and a big band with Howard Roberts) and his piano playing and arranging can hardly be called guitar-like. Hearing guitar play Monk's music is like hearing an orchestral version of a Wagner opera aria; it reveals a wholly different aspect of the music. …

And Bernstein is a graceful guitarist who polishes the rough pianistic edges Monk gouged into his tunes."

Summing it up, Bernstein said: “Monk has his own musical universe. For me he was the sound of New York – like home.”

The following video which was developed in conjunction with the ace graphics team at CerraJazz LTD and StudioCerra Productions offers a sampling of Bernstein Plays Monk on its audio track which is comprised of Peter performing Monk’s Brilliant Corners along with Doug Weiss on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.

Lester Young on Clarinet 1938-39

Kate McGarry – “Smoking My Sad Cigarette”

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

 “The positive and lightly quavering sound of Kate McGarry’s voice doesn’t send up any flares identifying her as a Jazz singer. But she certainly deserves that distinction ….”

- Nat Chinen, The New York Times

"...evocative lyricism, superb control and ample vocal and emotive range. Her voice would be iconic in any genre."

- Gary Fukushima – L.A. Weekly

“She is developing into one of the most dependable and refreshing singers in jazz"

- Bob Karlovits, The Pittsburgh Tribune

Someone should tell vocalists today—at least the ones we see on those TV talent hunts—that singing doesn't have to be some exercise in screaming self-annihilation, that beauty and style is more about composure and command. You could tell them, or you can hip them to … Kate McGarry.

- Mark Corroto, Allaboutjazz

If you are not familiar with Kate McGarry’s brilliant Jazz vocalizations, her singing on the following video will serve as a proper introduction.

On it, Kate sings Smoking My Sad Cigarette which was arranged by Gil Evans in 1957 and has never been previously recorded. She is joined by The Gil Evans Centennial Project Orchestra under the direction of Ryan Truesdell.

You can find out more about Kate and her forthcoming appearances on her website: http://www.katemcgarry.com/

A Chuckle from Clark As Told By Crow

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

One of the great things about hanging out with Jazz musicians is that you’re never far from a laugh.

Whether it’s a play-on-words in a song title, a nickname, or the telling of a yarn, Jazz musicians love a good chortle.

Playing Jazz takes a lot of concentration, and humor is a great way to relieve the pressure that builds up during a performance, a recording date or even a rehearsal, especially when reading through new music.

Whether you are a Jazz musician or a fan of the music, if you like the transformational feeling that laughter brings on, you can’t do better than a perusal of the funny stories in Bill Crow’s Jazz Anecdotes [New York: Oxford University Press, 1990].

Here’s an example.

© -Bill Crow, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

“Not having [trumpeter] Clark Terry tell this one robs it of some of its charm. You have to imagine the devilish look in Clark’s eye as he sings each song!

A guy walked into a pet store looking for a Christmas gift for his wife. The storekeeper said he knew exactly what would please her and took a little bird out of a cage. "This is Chet," he said, "and Chet can sing Christmas carols." Seeing the look of disbelief on the customer's face, he proceeded to demonstrate.

"He needs warming up," he said. "Lend me your cigarette lighter."

The man handed over his lighter, and the storekeeper raised Chet's left wing and waved the flame lightly under it. Immediately, Chet sang "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful."

"That's fantastic!" said the man.

"And listen to this," said the storekeeper, warming Chet's other wing. Chet sang, "O Little Town of Bethlehem."

"Wrap him up!" said the man. "I'll take him!"

When he got home, he greeted his wife:

"Honey, I can't wait until Christmas to show you what I got you. This is fantastic."

He unwrapped Chet's cage and showed the bird to his wife.

"Now, watch this."

He raised Chet's left wing and held him over a Christmas candle that was burning on the mantlepiece. Chet immediately began to sing, "Silent Night." The wife was delighted.

"And that's not all, listen to this!" As Chet's right wing was warmed over the flame, he sang, "Joy to the World."

"Let me try it," cried the wife, seizing the bird. In her eagerness, she held Chet a little too close to the flame. Chet began to sing passionately, "Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire!""

Blue

Medium tempo blues practically play themselves especially when the rhythm section just lays it down and stays out of the way, which is exactly what bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth do on the audio track to the following video. The tune is entitled Systems Blue. Trombonist Steve Davis wrote it and performs on it along with Mike DiRubbo on alto saxophone, David Hazeltine on piano and, of course, Peter and Joe.

Jazz musicians like to open the first set of club dates or concerts with a medium tempo blues.  The easy tempo, simplified song structure [usually 12 bars which repeats once] and the groove generated all serve to get the juices flowing.


Smiles all round after listening to "the kids" making it happen on this one.


Jazz is in good hands.


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Memorializing Paul Desmond

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

Alto saxophonist Paul Desmond died on Memorial Day, 1977.

On this Memorial Day weekend, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles thought it might be appropriate to commemorate the 35^th anniversary of Paul’s passing with the following videos that feature his superbly unique alto playing in different musical contexts.

To ours ears, Paul’s sound is associated with everything that we find beautiful in the music.  His was a masterful command of the alto saxophone and his conception took the instrument to new heights, both figuratively and literally.

Paul’s music was like a good book: you could put it down and pick it up again anytime the mood suited you or you could stay up all night reading it. It was full of melodic “stories,” humor, and great depth of feeling.

Listening to Paul play was always a satisfying experience; and like the reading of that good book, one generally came away wanting more.

Stardust – Paul with pianist Dave Brubeck, bassist Ron Crotty and drummer Joe Dodge.

You Go To My Head – Paul with Don Elliott on trumpet and mellophonium, Norman Bates on bass and Joe Dodge on drums.

Chorale – Paul with Dave van Kriedt on tenor saxophone, Dave Brubeck on piano, Norman Bates on bass and Joe Morello on drums.

I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Paul with Jim Hall on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, Robert Thomas on drums and strings and horns arranged by Bob Prince. [Click on the “X” to close out of the ads when these appear on the video].

Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw - Henk Meutgeert/Riffs n Rhythms

It's great when the TV director knows the music and can focus on what's going on now and put cameras in positions to catch what's coming up next.

Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw

From a concert performed by the orchestra on April 28, 2011 at The Bimhuis in Amsterdam, the composition is entitled Black, Whiter and Brown and features Peter Beets on piano, Joris Roelofs on bass clarinet, and Jan van Duikeren on trumpet with Martijn Vink booting things along in the drum chair.